Field of Invention
This invention concerns a new therapeutic application of acetyl L-carnitine and its pharmacologically acceptable salts in the therapeutic treatment of cataract. The invention further concerns suitable pharmaceutical compositions and particularly a collyrium.
Discussion of the Background
Therapeutic uses of acetyl L-carnitine are already known For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,006 describes the use of acetyl carnitine in the therapeutic treatment of ischemia and myocardial arrhythmia. U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,816 describes the use of acetyl carnitine in the therapeutic treatment of functional peripheral vascular diseases of the arteries, such as Raynaud's disease and acrocyanosis. U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,107 describes the therapeutic utility of acetyl carnitine in the treatment of subjects affected by altered cerebral metabolism which is found for example in senile and pre-senile dementia and in Alzheimer's disease. However there is no correlation between the previously known therapeutic uses of acetyl L-carnitine and that which forms the subject of this invention. Moreover, the therapeutic use has never previously been proposed in the ophtamological field of either carnitine or of any derivative of carnitine.